Review: Moto E 2015 (2nd Gen) - A Pocket-Friendly Pure Android Experience
Motorola created buzz by launching the successor of immensely-popular Moto E. We got hands on the new Moto E 2015 (2nd Gen) as it launched on Flipkart. Let us look at the phone's features one by one, starting with the packaging and contents in the box. Moto E reaches its destination well packed by Flipkart and the box contains model and accessories along with documents for user. Accessories include a micro-USB two-pin charger and earphones. The quality of earphone isn’t great and those who enjoy music on their smartphone would prefer their favourite piece in ears. The box include quick start guide and user manual in English and Hindi and a warranty card.
Design
The new Moto E features 4.5-inch screen which suits almost every hand and user can reach any corner of screen when operating the device single-handedly. One of the remarkable change in this Moto is that, unlike earlier Moto E (or Moto G 2nd gen) the company has retained just one horizontal strip above the screen. The new Moto E is slightly curvy as that that of Moto G. The company has introduced removable and colourful bands for the edge. The texture of these bands is quite good and also gives good grip for holding the device. The power on/off and volume buttons are located perfectly on right edge and can be operated at ease.
Performance
This Moto comes with 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor (Snapdragon 410 for 4G model) and functions quite smooth. One can easily perform multiple tasks at a time like browsing Internet while apps updating in background or go through Facebook or Twitter. When overloaded for some time, one of the app may take a bit for loading but that’s acceptable for this device. At this price tag, one can afford a second of delay. Benchmark results would be the best option to judge the performance. On Quadrant (v2.1.1), Moto E 2015 gives a score of 10031. One can enjoy average games on this device but it would give up with those requiring huge RAM and heavy graphics.
Camera
The smartphone comes with 5MP AF rear camera and VGA front-facing camera. Unlike in Moto E, rear camera now supports video recording of up-to 720p. I found the image quality to be good but it isn’t that great. If you can’t live without clicking several pictures a day or if you are a selfie-addict, this phone isn’t for you. But if you don’t have camera as your primary concern, you may live with this one. Introduced in Moto X, the company embedded “twist to capture” feature in Moto E 2015 as well. It works amazingly well every time you double-twist the phone. The feature also changes the rear camera to front and vice-versa. You can easily get photos for Instagram in decent light but camera becomes useless in low light.
Software and Apps
Moto E 2015 comes with Stock Android with limited apps pre-installed. Google apps includes Gmail, YouTube, Drive, Google+, Newsstand, Google Play Music etc. A couple of Moto apps available are Migrate that makes transfer of stuff to new phone easy and Moto Alert that calls trusted contacts in case of emergency. There’s Moto Display that makes glancing through notifications easy. Apps that come pre-installed aren’t useless unless most of the other phones.
Battery, Storage and Connectivity
The points that this Moto loses for its camera can be compensated with its battery. It packs a powerful 2390mAh built-in battery. In low battery, the device offers to stay in power-saver mode. For most of the users, the battery is enough to last for a day on moderate usage. If you are not a fan of Clash of Clans you can add few more hours to it! You may not feel the need of power-bank, if you can charge the device on regular intervals. Out of 8GB on-board storage, user gets approximately 4.5GB for use. Thankfully, there’s a slot for microSD card in case user wishes to expand memory. There’s no problem as far as connectivity is concerned. Call reception and managing operations are performed smoothly. Connecting to Wi-Fi of 3G connectivity is seamless too.
Final Verdict
Moto E 2015 is the perfect choice for those looking for the best Android experience without burning pocket. It offers real value for money. If your primary need is 4G connectivity, it is worth waiting for it, as 4G variant is expected to be launched by May; if not grab the 3G one.
Design
The new Moto E features 4.5-inch screen which suits almost every hand and user can reach any corner of screen when operating the device single-handedly. One of the remarkable change in this Moto is that, unlike earlier Moto E (or Moto G 2nd gen) the company has retained just one horizontal strip above the screen. The new Moto E is slightly curvy as that that of Moto G. The company has introduced removable and colourful bands for the edge. The texture of these bands is quite good and also gives good grip for holding the device. The power on/off and volume buttons are located perfectly on right edge and can be operated at ease.
This Moto comes with 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor (Snapdragon 410 for 4G model) and functions quite smooth. One can easily perform multiple tasks at a time like browsing Internet while apps updating in background or go through Facebook or Twitter. When overloaded for some time, one of the app may take a bit for loading but that’s acceptable for this device. At this price tag, one can afford a second of delay. Benchmark results would be the best option to judge the performance. On Quadrant (v2.1.1), Moto E 2015 gives a score of 10031. One can enjoy average games on this device but it would give up with those requiring huge RAM and heavy graphics.
Camera
The smartphone comes with 5MP AF rear camera and VGA front-facing camera. Unlike in Moto E, rear camera now supports video recording of up-to 720p. I found the image quality to be good but it isn’t that great. If you can’t live without clicking several pictures a day or if you are a selfie-addict, this phone isn’t for you. But if you don’t have camera as your primary concern, you may live with this one. Introduced in Moto X, the company embedded “twist to capture” feature in Moto E 2015 as well. It works amazingly well every time you double-twist the phone. The feature also changes the rear camera to front and vice-versa. You can easily get photos for Instagram in decent light but camera becomes useless in low light.
Software and Apps
Moto E 2015 comes with Stock Android with limited apps pre-installed. Google apps includes Gmail, YouTube, Drive, Google+, Newsstand, Google Play Music etc. A couple of Moto apps available are Migrate that makes transfer of stuff to new phone easy and Moto Alert that calls trusted contacts in case of emergency. There’s Moto Display that makes glancing through notifications easy. Apps that come pre-installed aren’t useless unless most of the other phones.
Battery, Storage and Connectivity
The points that this Moto loses for its camera can be compensated with its battery. It packs a powerful 2390mAh built-in battery. In low battery, the device offers to stay in power-saver mode. For most of the users, the battery is enough to last for a day on moderate usage. If you are not a fan of Clash of Clans you can add few more hours to it! You may not feel the need of power-bank, if you can charge the device on regular intervals. Out of 8GB on-board storage, user gets approximately 4.5GB for use. Thankfully, there’s a slot for microSD card in case user wishes to expand memory. There’s no problem as far as connectivity is concerned. Call reception and managing operations are performed smoothly. Connecting to Wi-Fi of 3G connectivity is seamless too.
Final Verdict
Moto E 2015 is the perfect choice for those looking for the best Android experience without burning pocket. It offers real value for money. If your primary need is 4G connectivity, it is worth waiting for it, as 4G variant is expected to be launched by May; if not grab the 3G one.
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